Snowshoe guide and climber



March 20, 1956 Filed Nov. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l w m m S m [N w H R mm Fig.

March 20, 1956 w. R. WALSH SNOWSHOE GUIDE AND CLIMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed NOV. 15, 1954 Fig.5

William R. Walsh INVENTOR.

nit dsta Patent SNOWSHOE GUIDE AND CLIMBER William R. Walsh, Jarbidge,Nev.

Application November 15, 1954, Serial No. 468,808

4 Claims. (CI. 36-45) The present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in shoe clamps for snowshoes and has for its primary objectto provide a snowshoe attachment which will solidly anchor the snowshoeand prevent slipping and sliding while walking, as well as to provide aguide for the snowshoe which will prevent the usual hazard ofmisalignment between the shoe and the snowshoe.

An important object of the invention is to provide an easily attachableand replaceable clamp embodying a novel hinge structure for the clamp topermit inward and outward adjustment of the sides of the clamp to fitshoes of various sizes and at the same time permitting free bending ofthe foot while walking.

Another object is to provide an attaching plate at the underside of thesnowshoe for the clamp and having portions which project downwardlybelow the snowshoe to form ice cleats.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple andpractical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation,relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for thepurpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the clamp;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken ona line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing the shoeclamping plates folded forwardly, and

Figures 6 and 7 are transverse sectional views taken respectively on thelines 6-6 and 7-7 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration 1 have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention,the numeral 5 designates the clamp generally and which comprises a pairof upper hinge plates 6 and 7 positioned in side by side relation toeach other and formed with aligned hinge pin eyes 8 and 9 at one end toreceive a hinge pin 10. A lower hinge plate 11 is positioned inunderlying bridging relation with respect to the pair of upper hingeplates 6 and 7 and plate 11 is also formed with aligned hinge pin eyes12 for also receiving the hinge pin 10. The hinge pin is removable topermit placing the hinge eyes of the plates 6 and 7 inwardly oroutwardly in their alternate arrangement with respect to the eyes ofplate 11 to adjust the plates 6 and 7 inwardly or outwardly to fit shoesof different widths.

The clamp is attached on top of a snowshoe 13 by means of an attachingplate 14 positioned under the snowshoe and having bolts 15 passingthrough the lower Patented Man. 20,. 1956 plate 11, web 16 of thesnowshoe and attaching plate 14 and with the nuts 17 at the lower endsof the bolts forming cleats for use on ice. The free ends of upperplates 6 and 7 extend longitudinally rearwardly of their hinged frontends and front and rear flanges 18 and 19 extend upwardly at the outerside edges of the upper plates to receive the sole of a shoe 20therebetween. Leather toe clamping members 21 and 22 are riveted to thefrontflanges 18 to overlie the toe of the shoe and are secured on top ofthe shoe by lacing 23. An adjustable leather strap 24 is attached to therear flanges 19 to extend over the instep portion of the shoe.

An adjustable heel strap 25 is also attached to the front flanges 18 and19 and extends rearwardly therefrom at each side of the shoe and behindthe heel thereof.

An adjusting plate 26 is positioned in bridging relation on top of therear end portions of the pair of upper hinge plates 6 and 7 and isformed with a row of openings 27 to selectively receive bolts and nuts28 carried by the upper hinge plates to secure the rear ends of thelatter in inwardly or outwardly adjusted position.

The attaching plate 14 is formed at its outer ends with downwardlyextending cleats 29 to aid in walking or climbing on hillsides.

The clamp is secured in position on the snowshoe by attaching the lowerhinge plate 11 on top thereof by the bolts and nuts 15 which passthrough the web of the snowshoe to the attaching plate 14 at theunderside of the snowshoe. After the hinge plates 6 and 7 have beenadjusted'inwardly or outwardly to fit the size of the shoe the latter isclamped to the plates between the flanges 18 and 19 by the toe straps 21and 22 and the instep and heel straps 24 and 25. The hinge connectionfor plates 6 and 7 will enable the person to bend his foot in thecustomary manner while Walking.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as now is as follows:

1. A shoe clamp attachment for snowshoes comprising a lower clampingplate, a hinge structure including a lower hinge plate and a pair ofupper hinge plates hingedly connected to the lower hinge plate, meanssccuring the upper hinge plates in an inwardly or outwardly adjustedposition relative to each other, means attaching the first and secondnamed plates in clamping engagement respectively under and on top of thesnow-.

shoe, and shoe clamping means carried by said pair of upper hingeplates.

2. A shoe clamp attachment for snowshoes comprising a lower clampingplate, a hinge structure including a lower hinge plate and a pair ofside by side upper hinge plates hingedly connected to the lower hingeplate, means securing said pair of hinge plates in inwardly andoutwardly adjusted position relative to each other, means attaching thefirst and second named plates in clamping engagement respectively underand on top of the snowshoe, and shoe clamping means carried by said pairof upper hinge plates.

3. A shoe clamp attachment for snowshoes comprising a lower clampingplate, a hinge structure including a lower hinge plate and a pair ofside by side upper hinge plates hingedly connected to the lower hingeplate, means securing said pair of hinge plates in inwardly and outwardly adjusted position relative to each other, means attaehin'g thefirst and second named plates in Clamping engagement respectively underand on top of the snowshoe, and front and rear shoe clamping strapsattached to said pair of upper hinge plates.

4. A shoe clamp attachment for snowshoes comprising a lower clampingplate, 'a hinge structure including a lower hinge plate and 'a pair ofside by side upper hinge plates hingedly connected to the lower hingeplate, means securing said 'pair "of hii'ig'e plates in inwardly andout- 'wardly adjusted position relative to each other, means attachingthe first and second narhed plates in clamping References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,522 Woodbury Dec. 27, 18871.004900 Pease Oct. 3, 1911 1,613,576 Burgess Jan. 4, 1927 2,365,041Balcomb Dec. 12, 1944

